14.5 Sensory and Motor Pathways
14.5 Sensory and Motor Pathways Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: Describe the pathways that sensory systems follow into the central nervous system Differentiate between the two major ascending pathways in the spinal cord
Overview Neural pathways transmit information between the body and the brain, enabling sensation, movement and conscious perception. This section outlines the major motor , sensory and special sensory tracts. Key Structures Topics include ascending pathways , descending pathways , the visual pathway and the auditory pathway .
14.5 Sensory and Motor Pathways
14.5 Sensory and Motor Pathways Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: Describe the pathways that sensory systems follow into the central nervous system Differentiate between the two major ascending pathways in the spinal cord
Introduction to Sensory and Motor Pathways Having looked at the components of nervous tissue, and the basic anatomy of the nervous system , next comes an understanding of how nervous tissue is capable of communicating within the nervous system .
14.2 Central Processing
Describe the pathways that sensory systems follow into the central nervous system Differentiate between the two major ascending pathways in the spinal cord Describe the pathway of somatosensory input from the face and compare it to the ascending pathways in the spinal cord
The sensory and motor pathways of the peripheral nervous system are separated by distinct characteristics: The sensory pathway is responsible for sensations and is composed of the dorsal column pathway (also called the posterior column pathway ), the spinothalamic pathway , and the spinocerebellar pathway .
Sensory Vs Motor Neurons
Sensory neurons carry incoming information from the sensory receptors of the body toward the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), whereas motor neurons carry outgoing commands away from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands.
A neural pathway is a bundle of axons that connects two or more different neurons, facilitating communication between them. Tracts are neural pathways that are located in the brain and spinal cord ( central nervous system ). Each tract runs bilaterally; one on each side of the cerebral hemisphere or in a hemisection of the spinal cord.
Sensory Pathways
Sensory Pathways Specific regions of the CNS coordinate different somatic processes using sensory inputs and motor outputs of peripheral nerves. A simple case is a reflex caused by a synapse between a dorsal sensory neuron axon and a motor neuron in the ventral horn. More complex arrangements are possible to integrate peripheral sensory information with higher processes. The important regions ...
The main sensory and motor pathways are white matter tracts that connect cortical areas with sensor and effector organs. These are largely well-myelinated thick bundles of long axons with a high conduction velocity.